JULIE PAAMA-PENGELLY | MĀORI VISUAL ARTIST
Lives: Tauranga - Māori descent: Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Tūwhiawhia, Ngāti Tauaiti, Ngāti Tapu
Māori visual artist with Toi Iho certification (Māori quality and authentication trademark) for Tā moko, design and multimedia arts and provides Māori arts education, curatorial and writing leadership.
“Was a very professional heartwarming experience I’m very happy to be gifted my moko kauae”
- Shfire S.
“You can’t understand Māori art without looking at the way spaces - such as buildings and sites - make sense of the art within and around them through the encounters we are invited to have with them and each other”
Toi Iho Accredited - Visual Artist
Toi Iho™ Māori Made
Julie Paama-Pengelly is proud to carry the Toi Iho Mark - the registered and globally recognised trademark of quality and authenticity of Māori art and artists. It is acknowledged as an exceptional cultural initiative by and for Indigenous NZ Māori by WIPO, the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva.
Toi Iho distinguishes the work of Māori from others in the marketplace. It seeks to protect Māori art from misappropriation and copycat non-Māori. Rest assured - if you purchase mahi from this website - know that you are purchasing authentic Māori artwork and directly supporting the artist.
“My art is about how Māori might reclaim their voice in contemporary space and time, it is a deeply spiritual exploration, often political, exploring the tensions of being Māori today"
About Julie
Julie Paama-Pengelly is a veteran in the revitalisation of tā moko Māori tattooing. Her studio in Mount Maunganui mixes contemporary and traditional designs and cultivates artists from all walks of life.
With expansive teaching experience, her art practice ranges from the use of symbolic imagery to pure abstraction in graphic design, painting, mixed media, and tattooing.
Over time many misconceptions have surfaced about who has the right to wear and practice tā moko. Julie is one of the first women to practice in the male-dominated field. She is a strong voice for Māori women’s rights and continues to break down barriers to give women a place in tā moko and in the arts.
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